THE GREY skies that seem to cling to every aspect of life at this time of year are broken on Rugby Road by high yellow fences.

Those little bursts of sunshine hide a secret, changing landscape of mud and concrete as developers push forward with the creation of the Hinckley Hub - what is hoped will be a one-stop access point for a number of public services ready for January 2013.

While there is increasing excitement inside that little world as the foundations of the new build start to take shape, it is perhaps more thrilling that the poignant bones of the former Flude hosiery factory which mark the town’s history so well are still standing, waiting for their turn to be resurrected.

And before the striking development - which will feature a glass tunnel connecting different buildings - is even finished, members of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council are hoping they can make it a true community hub by getting many public service providers to move there.

Leicestershire County Council is already signed up and more partners are expected to be announced next month.

Councillor Stuart Bray, leader of the borough council, said: “The whole idea of this is that people want public services in Hinckley and this will mean they can come to one building, speak to one person and get the answers they need from the right department.

“By the council moving into this building the operational costs will be significantly cheaper, partly because it is much more energy efficient and partly because the costs will be shared by the different agencies.”

The hub development is part of a wider regeneration of the Hawley Road/Rugby Road area that has already seen 48 houses and six apartments shoot up.

Construction work is being undertaken by Hallam Contracts, in partnership with MRP and Aviva.

Once completed, the build will be one of the first things people see as they enter the southern gateway to the town from the M69 or A5.

A glass feature wall was meant to jut out from the old Flude building but that idea was scrapped in favour of a glass tunnel from the former hosiery factory to the old substation building.

It was also going to have shops but again these were ditched during the planning process.

Despite major changes throughout the short history of the development, Richard Anderson, director of developer MRP, said things were now moving fast.

“These guys are speeding along here,” he laughed.

“Hinckley is going through an exciting time at the minute.

“There are a lot of developments, more than most towns, so someone must be doing something right.

“Even though it wasn’t much of a loved building for the town it was nice to be able to retain some of the original structure given the hosiery history of the town.

“We learned a lot about the history of the building before starting work.

“At its peak there were 800 people working there and I think when this is finished there will be something like 400 or 500 there, so it’s not quite to its former state but is getting there.

“I think people will be surprised when they see the incredible things you can do with a former factory. It’s quite aspirational.”

One of those incredible things, according to the developers, is getting the conversion of the old factory up to modern BREEAM standards, a test of how environmentally efficient the building is.

Solar panels and other eco-friendly energy sources will be installed, making the hub far more efficient than the council’s current home in Argents Mead and its other offices in Florence House.

Councillor Keith Lynch (Hinckley Clarendon, Lib Dem) shared his excitement of finally moving out of the run-down offices that have been the council’s home for decades.

He said: “Bearing in mind how long we have actually been waiting for this, to be on site and actually see it happening is fantastic.

“The chance to partake in a civic hub and not just a council building is superb.

“Some other councils are already doing this but I believe others should follow.

“When people get used to the idea that they can go to one place I am sure they will find it greatly beneficial.”